The Winds of Change
by sh0rtcake
Summary: Rukia comes back to find that while she was at Soul Society, things and feelings have shifted and changed in the Kurosaki household and someone else has taken her place in Ichigo's bedroom. Ichigo is forced to make a choice before one of them dies.
1. The New Arrivals

**The Winds of Change**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach or its characters, as much as I would like to.

**Quick Summary:** Rukia comes back from Soul Society to find that feelings and things have changed in the time that she was at Soul Society.

**A/N:** I love the relationship between Rukia and Ichigo and Renji and I thought it would be interesting to see how Orihime's appearance throws a wrench into their dynamics. I know it is a little clichéd but put up with me. I'm not too sure whether to continue this so I'll see the response to this chapter first. Tweaked some paragraphs here and there and made some minor grammar adjustments. Keep the R n R coming.

**Warning:** There are some light spoilers here and there for the post-Soul Society arc.

* * *

**1. **

**The New Arrivals**

He told her he would be waiting and Rukia believed him.

That had been the reason why she had decided to stay in Soul Society because more than anything else, she knew that Ichigo, brazen, loud-mouthed, rude and irritating that he may be, kept his promises fiercely and with a stubborn determination. So that day as they stood in the fields of golden wheat, buttery sunlight slanting onto their faces, and they made a pact, she knew that she could let Ichigo go back without her.

She knew that he would keep his window open at night, come winter or rain, for her to step through when she came come back. She knew that he would keep the closet bed cosy for her, changing the sheets so that when she came back, they would be fresh and clean and ready for her to sleep in. And she knew that he would stock the refrigerators with those strange packet drinks they called 'grape juice' so that when she returned and was thirsty, he could help her stick the straw inside the packet.

So she had made up her mind as the portal was readied for them to return to the mortal world. And she had waved goodbye bravely, holding back the sadness and loss deep inside her. Because she knew that soon, they would meet each other again and then it would be so much sweeter.

So when Soul Society sent her and Renji back to the mortal world to prepare for the battle against Aizen Sousuke's army of Arrancars, she had been excited and delighted at the prospect of seeing and fighting alongside Ichigo again. As Renji opened up the portal to the human world with his zanpaktou, her mouth was dry and her heart beat faster. Then a swirling hole opened up underneath Zabimaru and they stepped back into the human world.

It was nighttime when they arrived in the mortal world and a chilly breeze was blowing, scattering piles of dry leaves across asphalt roads that gleamed under the clean, white light of the crescent moon. The signboard of the Karakura Clinic was lit only by the dim sodium streetlights. A familiar feeling slipped under her skin and she smiled.

Beside her, Renji was scowling and making sarcastic remarks about the rundown state of the clinic. Rukia tilted her head upwards and saw that the light was still on in Ichigo's bedroom. A smile tugged gently at the corner of her lips.

"Renji, come on, we'll go in through the window."

The redhead stared at her as if she was insane but she ignored his look, "Come on, and be quick before your ruckus wakes up somebody in the neighbourhood."

Together, they leapt high into the night sky then landed gently on the window ledge of the second floor. Rukia edged forward and stepped through the window lightly, Renji following closely behind her.

Her arrival through the window caused a wind to blow into the room and she saw the familiar back of Ichigo stiffen slightly. Then he turned slowly and a look of utter disbelief scud across his face as he took in the new arrivals.

"R… Renji?"

"Yo, how you've been, snot-nosed little brat?"

Then his eyes bulged, "Rukia?" It came out as a whisper.

She grinned and folded her arms across her chest, "Long time no see, Ichigo."

The disbelief on his face melted away slowly as he stood up, shocked. Then another expression filtered into his eyes, a mixture of belated happiness and… guilt. Like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, as if… he had been caught doing something wrong.

Rukia's heart went cold and she felt the wind slap her face harder as Ichigo started stammering.

"I… didn't… expect…"

Movement in the room distracted her and Rukia finally realised that Ichigo hadn't been alone in his room.

Inoue Orihime sat cross-legged at the edge of Ichigo's bed, clad in a loose t-shirt that was several sizes too big for her frame. The too-wide shirt hung slightly open to give a tantalising view of her ample assets and the shirttails covered her only up to her knees.

Rukia's mouth went dry and she found she could not speak. It was as if the words were stuck deep down inside her throat and she did not have the strength to pull them out.

"Kuchiki-san! You came back!" Orihime chorused happily, oblivious to the distress of the other girl.

At last, she managed to stutter a reply, "Indeed… I did, Inoue-san. What are you doing... _here_?"

The pretty girl beamed and turned to look at a red-faced Ichigo. "I'm cohabitating with Kurosaki-kun now! I was thrown out of my house!" she chorused joyfully.

Renji blanched, eyes nearly popping as Orihime's vigorous and overly dramatic actions gave the room's audience a full-on eyeful of her abundant cleavage.

"So… you are sleeping in his sisters' room?" Rukia asked hopefully, trying to keep her voice even and calm.

Orihime shook her head violently and Rukia caught a whiff of the vanilla shampoo that she had left behind before she was brought back to Soul Society. "There was no room for me in Karin and Yuzu's room," she pouted slightly, "so Kurosaki offered to put me up in his bed!"

A shell-shocked silence descended in the room as Orihime smiled, not comprehending the full impact of her words.

"He… he… did, did he?" Rukia stammered.

"Indeed! And he kindly lent me this shirt because my clothes all got torn up when we trying to play football with Karin today."

Football? Rukia wondered briefly what that was and whether it involved such a strenuous amount of activity that Inoue's clothes could be shredded so badly. An image of Ichigo and Inoue playing football, ripping at each other's clothes popped into her head and she had to pinch herself to regain control of her emotions.

A bitter taste rose in Rukia's mouth and she turned to look at Ichigo who had not spoken a word. His face was crimson and he looked at a loss.

"It… it isn't like that!" he shouted when he saw Rukia stare at him. "We couldn't let Orihime wander the streets at night! She's just a girl and Chizuru insisted that I put her up!"

Orihime nodded energetically at that, "Kurosaki-kun was really kind to lend me his bed even though his body was aching from the gym lessons at school and I had to give him a massage to relieve his pain."

At that, Rukia decided she had enough.

"Is that so?" she arched an eyebrow at Ichigo then turned back to smile stiffly at Orihime, "Then I'm so sorry to have disturbed your much-needed rest. Since it is evident that Kurosaki-san is so exhausted from his exertions at school, I think we'll find accommodation some place else and come back to visit another time. Hope we didn't disturb you two."

Without looking at Ichigo, Rukia took Renji's arm, "Let's go."

Renji took one look at her distressed face and nodded. Then they both leapt out of the window and disappeared into the velvety darkness.

"Wait… Rukia!" Ichigo yelled as he rushed to the window. But it was too late, the two Shinigami were gone, leaving only the icy chill that seeped in quickly, replacing the warmth that had been there earlier.

* * *


	2. The Choice

**The Winds of Change**

**Disclaimer: **Bleach feeds Kubo Tite.

**Quick Summary: **Rukia comes back from Soul Society to find that feelings and things have changed in the Kurosaki household in the time she was at Soul Society.

**Quick Chapter Summary: **Who will Ichigo save? What will he do? Will Rukia die?

**A/N:** Finally got the second chapter done! Thanks for all the reviews by Danielle, notnow, shinigamilenne, rukiaprincess, Kuchiki Rukia-sama, vanilla, lil-cherry-wolf, seal-chan, Teara, dopeypoo, Iteria, Jini, phyrefox and katsumi01. I hope I will not let y'all down with this chappie.

- Btw, my sister is also using my account and she left a review for me using my own pen-name. Yes, how dumb can one person get? She thought she could delete it but she didn't realise she was logged in. So please do not feel shocked or horrified if you see a review submitted to me by erm, myself. Yay? YAY! Okay, let's get on with the story.

Read, enjoy and **REVIEW**!

* * *

**2. **

**The Choice**

Tap. Tap. Tap! "Shit. Not again."

"Try it from the top."

Tap. Tap!

"What the fuck! Is this question really solvable?"

"Maa… maa… Kurosaki-kun, let me help you."

"I can do this on my own."

"But…"

"I can do it, Inoue," Kurosaki Ichigo glanced up from where he had been thumping furiously on his calculator and levelled his gaze at Inoue Orihime. The buxomy girl read the steel in his flashing amber eyes and nodded silently, going back to her own worksheet.

Silence descended briefly again in the almost empty classroom as Ichigo erased off the wrong workings and tried solving the question from the top again.

This wasn't working, and he knew it. He could usually do such sums in his head, but today, no matter how hard he tried, he could not seem to recall the numerous formulae and calculus rules. In frustration, he viciously scoured two dark lines through the question and ran his hands through his spiky orange hair.

Across from him, Orihime raised her eyes slightly but did not comment. They had become study partners in the last few months when Ochi-sensei had made it a rule for every student to find a partner, claiming that it would '_enhance the quality of their work'_.

Ichigo had been rather unwilling to become Orihime's partner but the looming threat of Tatsuki's fists and the fact that the rest of the class had paired themselves up while he and Orihime were late for school that day had meant that Ichigo found the rest of his breaks in school studying with the orange-haired girl in the quiet of their classroom.

He had not minded, enjoying the company that she afforded ever since Rukia had stayed behind in Soul Society. Even if he would rather be tortured slowly over a rack than admit it, Orihime had become a comforting familiarity in his life, papering over the agony of losing Rukia to her family and friends.

"_He… he… did, did he?"_

The expression in Rukia's eyes played themselves over and over again in his head, her words echoing loudly in his ears. He could not stand seeing her like that, feeling the guilt wash up in his chest and settle heavily in his stomach.

Then he caught himself and smacked a hand to his forehead. What was he feeling guilty for? It was not as if he and Orihime were dating! And anyway, why was _he _concerned about how Rukia felt about it? He certainly _wasn't_ accountable to her! Damn!

"Ne, Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime's soft, concerned voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"What is it?"

"Let's go back. We're never going to get any work done today, from the looks of it."

Grateful for the girl's understanding, he nodded. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head slowly. "If you don't mind me asking, it's because of Kuchiki-san, right?"

Ichigo's hands which had been busily shuffling papers and stuffing them into his bag stopped abruptly and he stared at her.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have asked such a silly question! Silly me, silly me…" she trailed off, face turning hot.

The flustered expression on her face was so cute that Ichigo could not help feeling a burst of compassion and amusement well up inside of him. "That's okay. Let's go."

They packed their bags and left the room, the setting sun slanting behind them, lighting up their backs as they walked together down the streets. But as Orihime started twittering delightfully about a new food product that she wanted to introduce to Yuzu, Ichigo could not help but worry about Rukia as memories of going home with the pint-sized Shinigami resurfaced in his head.

Then a loud scream pierced the air and Ichigo jerked back to reality. Orihime was still babbling on, oblivious to the sound. Another scream, this time louder and more pained, rang out in the air and Ichigo scanned the area quickly.

"Inoue! Did you hear that?"

"Hear what, Kurosaki-kun?"

"There's someone in trouble. I'm going to help. Stay here and call for help if there's danger, understand?"

Without looking back, Ichigo ditched his bag and ran off in the direction of the screams, feeling the blood pounding viciously in his veins.

* * *

One. Two. Five. Ten.

Rukia could barely keep count as the number of new Hollows started rapidly multiplying before her very eyes. Gripping the hilt of her zanpaktou more securely, she tensed and launched into a fighting stance. This was bad. She had not expected the Hollow to be so powerful when she had received the signal on her cell phone and had decided to come alone without telling Renji.

Right now, the big idiot would probably still be fast asleep in Urahara's storeroom, snoring and dreaming. She could not rely on him, she needed to think, to be quick so that she could defeat the Hollow. The memory of fighting with Ichigo nudged her but she pushed it away.

He wasn't here right now. He was with Orihime. She was well and truly alone this time.

"Are you afraid now, little Shinigami?" the Hollow's voice echoed throughout the park where they were fighting and she saw the clones surround her slowly, forming a circle around her.

"Of a mediocre Hollow like you? I could beat you with my eyes closed." She bit back, mind racing as she tried to formulate a battle strategy.

The Hollow laughed amusedly and licked its lips. "Don't lie, Shinigami. I can smell your fear. It rolls off your delicious little body like a sweet fragrance. I'll enjoy devouring your soul once I'm done."

"Shut up!" Rukia withdrew her zanpaktou and leapt forward, lending gracefully on the thick forearm of one of the Hollow clones. Using all her might, she hacked downwards and watched in satisfaction as the clone's arms were sliced from its body.

Then using Shunpo, she darted to the left and sliced through another clone. Quickening her speed gradually, she effortlessly took down another five clones, hearing their pained yells as their body parts fell. Landing on the ground, she twirled around to take down the clones surrounding her on the right but before she could do it, she heard a girl scream.

Turning around, she saw the Hollow seize a young girl in its tentacles and tightening its grip around her tiny body. The girl screamed again, her eyes wide with fear.

"You, asshole." Rukia yelled as the Hollow pinned the girl to a tree.

"Make your choice, Shinigami. It's either you or her." The Hollow lifted its tentacles and a blade slid out, the tip ending at the girl's throat.

"I don't make deals with Hollows!" Rukia shouted as the clones closed in on her.

"Well too bad, then the girl dies!"

Before the blade could pierce the girl's throat, a flash of black appeared in the corner of her eye and the next thing she knew, the Hollow was writhing and shrieking in pain.

"What's the matter Rukia? Can't handle a Hollow on your own?"

_That cocky voice._

_Ichigo!_

"Shut up, you probably couldn't take him on." She retorted out of familiarity as her sword moved furiously to fend off another encroaching circle of clones.

He smirked, "Let me show you how to take care of Hollows like him who pick on small fry." Laying the girl on the grass, he turned to face the Hollow.

"Fight with someone of your own size."

"This is interesting indeed!" the Hollow laughed, "What a strong reiatsu you have, boy. I'll definitely enjoy you more than the girl over there."

"You won't even get a chance to lick my flesh." Ichigo's lips tilted up in a challenging grin as he unsheathed his zanpaktou and launched at the Hollow.

Rukia tried to make sure he was safe but was distracted by her own battle as the clones continued merging and reforming, trying to surround her. The clash of sword blades echoed loudly as dust swirled furiously, Ichigo and the Hollow exchanging quick, fast blows.

BOOM!

Then she heard a loud yell as blood splattered.

"Don't overestimate yourself boy! You've lost!"

"Ichigo!" a new voice came to Rukia's left and she swivelled in that direction.

It was Orihime.

And she was running blindly towards the Hollow without any regard. Ichigo lay injured from the blow the Hollow had dealt.

Idiot!

Rukia desperately slashed out at a clone and got a deep cut to her arm but she barely cared. She had to save the both of them!

Running as quickly as she could, she watched in horror as the Hollow plunged its blade into Ichigo's shoulder. Then hearing Orihime's cry, the Hollow turned and grabbed her with its tail.

"Die!" Rukia yelled as she leapt over Ichigo's panting and injured form and slashed at the Hollow. The Hollow released Orihime and screamed in pain, its tentacles lashing out. "Ichigo! Go get Inoue and get out of here!" Rukia shouted as she positioned herself for another attack.

Ichigo lifted his head painfully, "No, I can't leave you here."

"Don't be stubborn idiot and listen to me!" she pleaded as the Hollow's arm synthesised and its tentacles reached out to grab her.

"GO!" she roared as the Hollow caught her unaware and slammed her against a tree. Its tentacles pinned her there and it squeezed, suffocating her slowly. Rukia felt the breath go out of her and coughed painfully, struggling against her restraints.

"Flee with… Inoue… Go…" she tried to say as Ichigo's eyes widened in horror.

"Rukia!"

"Shut up!" the Hollow bellowed as its blade slashed across her cheek and her neck. Rukia felt blood spill from her wounds and darkness dancing behind her eyelids.

The Hollow smiled at Ichigo. "Boy, you have two choices. Take this woman and flee to save her life and leave the Shinigami to die," it pointed at an unconscious Orihime lying on her side, "or save the Shinigami and let the girl die from her wounds."

"Who are you going to save? The girl or the Shinigami? Either way one of them will DIE!"

* * *

**TBC.**


End file.
